Hegseth decried 'fat troops.' Then a photo of hefty National Guard soldiers went viral.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told hundreds of top military commanders last week that it was "tiring" to see "fat troops."

The arrival of the Texas National Guard to Chicago could leave him exhausted.

Days after a viral picture of hefty troops arriving in Chicago from Texas on President Donald Trump's controversial orders prompted online mockery, the National Guard said soldiers would be booted off active duty if they couldn't adhere to height and weight standards.



The viral photo, snapped by ABC News, showed several heavyset Guardsmen in military fatigues hopping out of a truck with rifles and duffle bags in hand as they deployed to the city earlier this week.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/hegseth-decried-fat-troops-then-222355434.html

[Karma13612]

1. Well, they're a bit beefy!!!! Eom

[NJCher]

53. Original link posted here

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220704558

[Bmoboy]

2. Hegseth wants violent warriors

These guys work at Walmart.

Do we want violent warriors at the checkout?

[markodochartaigh]

38. "Do we want violent warriors at the checkout?"

I'm sure that some Texans are saying yes. The shooter in this story was asked to leave the store so she and the person with whom she was arguing went outside where she shot the other person. What would have happened if the clerk was armed? I think that more people would have been shot. But I know that many Texans would not agree with me.


https://abcnews.go.com/US/dispute-woman-dallas-store-allegedly-led-deadly-shooting/story?id=126377999

[Bmoboy]

41. I'm not talking about guns

Hegseth wants soldiers who are trained to "kill, kill, kill."

[Aristus]

3. When I was in the Army Reserves, we had to pass a yearly PT test.

I guess these guys don't have to; or if they do, their test is a little less......demanding, I suppose...

[HappyH]

54. I was active duty Army in the 70s

and we had to pass a yearly fitness test. There were weight requirements and pretty intense PT requirements. I'm not at all sure what Kegsbreath is going on about. Maybe he's just puffed up and stupid?

[Aristus]

55. I was active duty from 1989 to 1993.

For nearly everybody, morning PT wasn’t enough. We would hit the gym or the track after work and on the weekends. For us, physical fitness was more than just a requirement (especially for tankers; if you can’t lift heavy weights, you’re finished), it was a source of pride.

We definitely need to enforce physical fitness standards for our troops.

But Hogsbreath’s animus against beards is just racist.

[HappyH]

56. I was in a medical unit

so daily PT was not really a thing. But we were tested as a unit and our CO and First Sargent made sure that we knew when the test would be and that we knew where the gym was. You got an opportunity to retest if you did not pass, and you got personal attention preparing for your retest, attention that most folks in my unit did not want.
I rode bicycles almost daily to stay in shape. There were miles of little used roads on post and it was a great way to blow off stress.
What confuses me is Hegseth goes on about wanting physical standards for our troops. The standards already exist and they are enforced for active duty personnel. You could look at the brass assembled by trump and hegseth and tell, there were no fat generals in that room.
I think that the National Guard fellows from Texas would look a lot better pretty quickly if they were called up to active duty.

[TheBlackAdder]

4. Everything's bigger in Texas.

[mwmisses4289]

5. I wouldn't make to much fun of them.

They are carrying their duffel (which will weigh quite a bit) plus their firearm, and a couple of them look like they are also carrying a back pack of some type. So 50-75 lbs of gear.
And they aren't wearing makeup.

I would be surprised if hegseth and his staff could manage the backpack.

[TheBlackAdder]

7. Duffels be crammed with Scooter Pies and Little Debbies

[Cha]

42. lol you're mean..

Last edited Fri Oct 10, 2025, 06:43 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't care how big they are.. It's the damn hypocrisy and fucking Bullshit of the Neo Nazis I hate.

[mwmisses4289]

44. Actually, if they're from texas, it could be brisket, cornbread, coleslaw or potato salad

in addition to whatever clothing, bedding and toiletries they need.

[TheBlackAdder]

49. Buc-ee's Brisket Sandwiches and Beaver Nuggets 😜

[Seinan Sensei]

20. LOL - "no makeup"

Unlike He-Man Petey-boy who begins each day at the makeup table

[multigraincracker]

32. A week of 10 mile hikes carrying that load and

could drop a ton of wait.

[TheBlackAdder]

6. Meal Team Six, Y'all Qaeda, the Green Buffets, Yokel Harem, Vanilla ISIS, Gravy Seals

[markodochartaigh]

39. Semper Fry!

n/t

[Hekate]

8. Now let's have photos of the new ICE recruits that have no hiring standards

[SSJVegeta]

10. OMG

And also



But also



But also

[SSJVegeta]

9. Is this really a legit photo? The two guys on the right look identical

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

11. Are you saying all Hispanics look alike?

One is shorter than the other. Look at their uniforms also.

[SSJVegeta]

12. They could be identical twins. Accounting for distance they look the same height

I've known identical twins in the military during my service. Some served in the same unit together. This could be similar.

[PatSeg]

13. It is hard to tell from just one photo,

but yeah, they look like identical twins to me.

[SSJVegeta]

15. Kinda cool if thats the case. For the most part...

[PatSeg]

17. Yes it is

I can't blame them for being in Chicago. They are just following orders and I'm sure they'd rather be at home with their families.

[SSJVegeta]

18. I have no doubt that all our troops will be upholding their oath

Definitely praying for them to keep their moral strength.

[PatSeg]

23. Same here

I don't have much confidence in the ICE thugs, but I have to hope that our military will live up to their oath.

[SSJVegeta]

24. ICE is basically the SS. I feel like most have been printing the constitution on their toilet paper for years now.

[PatSeg]

45. Yes, they're 21st century Brown Shirts

The least of the least among the poorly educated, brainless thugs. They thrive on violence and power.

[SSJVegeta]

25. Follow up thought

Perhaps folks should start sending ICE toilet paper with the constitution printed on it as a nice, bold statement.

https://www.printedtp.com/products/custom-printed-toilet-paper-2-pack

[PatSeg]

16. They didn't look Hispanic to me

but I did think they looked very similar like brothers or twins. It obviously is hard to tell from just one photo.

[markodochartaigh]

43. I agree with you.

I don't think that they look particularly similar. Heavy set people do tend to look more alike, probably since there is less definition in the face due to their weight. And these two guys have that generic "European snub nose face" that is found everywhere from Ireland to Russia.

[Scrivener7]

50. That's ridiculous. And are YOU saying

all Hispanics look alike? Why do you assume they're Hispanic? Why not German? Why not Eastern European? Why not just guys born in Jersey?

Why do YOU assume those 2 guys who look alike are Hispanic?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

33. Different glasses and the photo has a name and an org: AP, Associated Press, or maybe ABC as claimed in article.

Most likely real.

[SSJVegeta]

34. Yeah i went intot he photographers pics. Its absolutely real.

The AI stuff has been messing with my brain and will continue to do so.

[spike jones]

14. I don't believe they hopped off the truck.

[leftstreet]

19. LOL

no kidding

[JoseBalow]

21. Nice hopping

[spike jones]

22. Perfect.

[AllaN01Bear]

26. hey comander in grime!!!!

[ForgedCrank]

27. Well, it looks

to me like he might have a valid point based on the photo I'm seeing here.
I wonder if these guys were chosen on purpose to make his point more obvious?

[Jilly_in_VA]

28. Chicago will put them on a diet

No hot dogs, no pizza for you! You will NOT be served!

[Mike Nelson]

29. If questioned...

... about their weight, I would advise these men to state they are working hard to reflect the standard being set by the Commander-in-Chief - we want to be as "tall, slender, and handsome" as he!

[Tbear]

30. Would it be bad to take them cookies?

All ya’ll are welcome here as people but as a unit- don’t shoot anyone, you are not needed

[LudwigPastorius]

31. Damn...

Those brothers got more chins than a Chinese phone book!

[Shipwack]

35. I really don't like this artical.

First off, it's body shaming.

Second, these are not frontline troops. To expect guardsmen/women to maintain a trim form when most of their time is spent as civilians is unreasonable.

Third, these people are volunteers to serve their country. While their motivations vary, they are willing to trade free time and comfort to serve when needed (not their fault that the current administration is misusing them).

Fourth, their physical appearance is not necessarily a good gauge of their abilities or efectiveness. As someone already mentioned, they are carrying a good bit of gear. They can't be too out of shape.

Fifth, how they look in fatigues is not necessarily an indication of what shape they are in. When I was in a service, there were people that by the standard tests had a a bodyfat measurement above 30%, when in reality they had little body fat... For example, Samoans or serious bodybuilders.

Sixth, I don't care if they can hike twenty miles carrying 80 pounds of gear; that's why we have trucks. What I want to know is can they fix a targeting computer in the field under pressure.

[leftstreet]

46. I don't think that's why people are laughing

If Hegseth hadn't given his creepy speech about military fitness and fat generals...

it's the irony is all

[TrollBuster9090]

36. SHUT YOUR MOUTH! According To Ronnie "Candyman" Jackson...

...all those troops are 6'4" and 199lb, will live to be 200, and have the greatest genes of any soldiers in the history of our country...

[Cha]

37. Just say.. They're Not missing any meals

and then some.

Wonder what the Texas NG thinks of the Shithead of War Crimes?

[ProudMNDemocrat]

40. When in the MN Air National Guard,,,

My husband had to be under a specific weight for his height and age. I made sure he ate nutritious meals and kept active. He retired at the end of 1999 with a total of 22 years in that also included his 4 years active duty with the USAF.
.

[MineralMan]

47. Posted here earlier this week

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=20705527

[LetMyPeopleVote]

48. BREAKING: The Texas National Guard's Meal Team 6 declares "Mickey-D Day" in Chicago.

Link to tweet

[Irish_Dem]

51. Hegseth better fire the fat bastards.

[Scrivener7]

52. I feel bad for those guys. They have no choice in this.

They joined a force whose purpose is to help us in emergencies.

And now they're being made fun of everywhere. I get the irony, but these guys don't deserve this.